You may have heard that one reason for the obesity epidemic in this country is a result of the fast food industry.  Basically, it’s cheaper to eat fast food than it is to eat a healthy home cooked meal.  Don’t believe it!

Several organizations are proving that you can actually eat healthy, home-cooked meals, or what they call slow food, for the same or less money than a fast food meal.  One such organization is Slow Food USA.  This grassroots organization created the $5.00 Challenge, where chapter leaders teach people how to shop and prepare meals for under $5.00 per person.  They chose $5.00 because the average fast food meal goes for $5.00-$7.00.  In addition, most people on food stamps receive about $5.00 per day per person.  The team actually takes friends, family or clients to local farmers markets to purchase foods and then learns to plan, organize and cook healthy meals together.

Anyone can become part of the team at Slow Food USA.  Sandy Todd Webster’s article in the January 2012 issue of the IDEA Fitness Journal, “The Fast Food Fallacy”, says that the meals that members create have to not only cost less than $5.00 per person but they also have to contain healthy ingredients and be good for farmers/workers, be locally grown and must also be good for the environment.  Many times people are amazed at the healthy, tasty meals that are created at these tasting parties.  This program has been a huge success!  Learn more about what they are doing or find a local chapter on their website at www.slowfoodusa.org.

I challenge each of you to focus in 2012 on returning to the healthy, home cooked meal, including creating healthy lunches to eat at work, rather than grabbing unhealthy fast food.  Check out your local farmers market and support farmers that bring you fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables and even healthier meats, dairy and snacks/condiments.

FTTC can help you get on track with your nutrition.  We offer kitchen pantry sessions to analyze what you are currently eating and grocery store/farmers market tours where we can help you stock your pantry with healthier choices.  We can even get in the kitchen with you and show you some tricks to planning and cooking healthy meals.  Some places to start on this healthy eating quest are:

• www.slowfoodusa.org
• Clean Eating magazines and books and http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/
• Cooking Light magazine and www.cookinglight.com
• Find local farmers markets at http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/
• IDEA Food & Nutrition Tips (launches Jan 5^th) at www.ideafit.com/ifnsignup
• Welch’s Zagat “Taste the Harvest Guide: Where and How to Eat Fresh, Local and Seasonal” at www.welchs.com/zagat
• Eating Well magazine and http://www.eatingwell.com/

Look for FTTC to hold its own FitFood Tasting Parties coming in 2012!

Photo Credit:  _pdra-your everyday photographer